Strength
by Shami Woo
Summary: They simply never were good with emotions. Angst.


He had seen the person before him at what could have been his lowest low, but light brown eyes widened as he is being knelt before, hands are fisted in the sides of his jeans and the raven-haired man before him lowers his head, shaking like a scared child.

The red-haired man is frozen with shock—was this actually happening? His Japanese rival was omitting sobs, all of this so sudden as he had never seen the hardened man cry a day in his life. But now he was falling apart in seconds, now he was unraveling and bursting at his seams, and in front of an unsuspecting Korean who was about to ask him for a fight.

Enough time had gone by for him to feel Jin's weight pressing into his calves, and a saddened Hwoarang tries to bite back his emotion—that would make simply too much emotion in this one moment, and Jin already appeared to be overwhelmed—and he asks Jin what could be a simple question.

"K-Kazama...? You alright...?"

Obviously the answer was no, and it was as though Jin realized who he was before and what he was doing in that moment, because the sobs stop and he avoids eye contact with Hwoarang at all costs.

"No, I suppose not..."

What a predictable reply, and Hwoarang purses his lips together as he stares hard at the head of black hair, his rival still kneeling before him.

"Well, then, fix yourself—you know...stop crying. Uhm...it's alright?" Damn, what was he supposed to say? Kazama was the last person he saw himself trying to comfort, and Hwoarang wasn't much a heartfelt person. At least, not outwardly.

"Hwoarang, how do you still look at me after all I've done to you?"

Fuck. Fucking fuck, that didn't help the moment. That didn't help Hwoarang bite back on the feelings he was trying to keep at bay, and he assumed that it was a silent agreement between them to never mention _that _ever again.

"Kazama, stop it—"

"Tell me."

"There's nothing to say."

"There isn't? I..._it _almost killed you, twice. You don't fear it? You don't worry that I'll lose it again?"

"Kazama—" No. No, no, no. This wasn't happening. Damnit, he wouldn't cry. Jin was able to force back the emotion he had let spill out, but Hwoarang was having trouble. "You idiot! Of course I'm scared of it! But I'm not scared of _you_. You are not that disgusting creature you're forced to live with, so why should I blame you for its actions? I'm not dumb! I'm not heartless! As much as I'd like to be—the fucking thing is still beating in my chest and I can't stop it!"

Jin fell silent, he still hadn't brought his head up, his eyes were still fixated on the floor the Blood Talon was standing on. He couldn't say a word to combat Hwoarang, he couldn't tell Hwoarang that he should still be angry, because though Devil is not him, he is still part of him. All he wanted to do was protect him—but stupid Hwoarang! "You always do this—you run right into danger. You aren't invincible, and you know that. So why? Why not be cautious? Why not leave me for good, and free yourself from the curse I bring you?"

"Maybe it's because..." Because? "Because I just can't leave you."

The explanation was worded weakly, but maybe that was what made it so strong. Maybe that's what made it the force that slowly prompted Jin to rise his head, to stare into the watery eyes of the Korean he was still at the feet of. The Korean who turned his head away, as though tht could hide all of his emotion.

Jin rose, standing before Hwoarang. He was only a little taller than him, thus able to easily place his hands on the Korean's shoulders.

Hwoarang still didn't give a glance, though a tear managed to break through his holding it in.

"Do you know why Devil attacked you...?"

A thick swallow, then a crackled voice answered. "...do I want to?"

"I don't know. Knowing you, probably not." Jin kept his hands where they were, unsure if he wanted to make direct eye-contact at a moment like this. "But I think you need to know."

"What? Devils hate redheads?"

Jin cracked a smile, somewhere in his mind. Outwardly, he remained solemn-faced, for the moment was simply too heavy. "No," Came the obvious answer, "It's because...I draw strength from you."

Whether or not Jin was ready, Hwoarang's eyes darted toward him, blinking tears away to make for clearer vision. "...what?"

"Devil wants power. That's all it wants, it will do anything to get it. He wants _my _power. All of it. When he takes my body, he's seized the power I store within myself. But he hasn't taken all of my power, because it comes from the heart." Hwoarang stared at Jin silently as he spoke, unsure of where this was going.

"My heart lies in my friends. You, Xiao, Miharu—all of you. But in _you_, it is the most prominent. If Devil could rid you from my life, I would be much weaker, Hwoarang. A literal part of me would be gone. As much as I didn't want you to, you bombarded your loud mouth and your swelled head into my life, and I don't want you to leave."

"Kazama—"

"Let me say this..."

"No, no you can't say anything, shut up!"

"Hwoarang."

"_Jin!_" That was his last attempt, call him by first name.

Jin actually did stop, and he gave a sigh as he could see that Hwoarang was afraid. He figured that there had been enough words anyway—words could only express it so much. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to those of the feisty redhead before him.

Hwoarang's eyes shut tight, tears still in them as his shoulders tensed and he froze in place. This was the same as saying it—this was worse, actually. He didn't want Jin to step into something that would only make things worse. He didn't want to drive him insane.

Hwoarang pulled back, shaking his head, attempting to talk. "Jin, please—if I brought out the devil in you..."

"_No._ You did not. My failure to be strong brought the devil out, not you. I put you and everyone else that matters to me in danger."

"I just don't know what to do." Hwoarang admitted, hating the weakness in his knees; and hating that Jin's support was the only thing helping him to stand.

"...I love you."

"Stop it..." He hissed, clenching his teeth afterward as he felt so defeated.

"I do. Do you love me...?"

Hwoarang stared at him, shoulders sinking in his grasp as he nodded. "Isn't it obvious? All those times I tried to get your attention...it wasn't just because I 'hated' you ad wanted to fight you..."

"You don't have to explain. I can tell it's making you uncomfortable." Jin was uncomfortable, too, talking about his feelings. "We can sort the rest of it out later...I just need you here to keep me strong while I battle Devil. If you want to leave after that...I won't try to stop you." Yes he would.

"If I didn't leave your side after that shitty devil tried to kill me, both times," Hwoarand managed a shadow of that stupid grin he had a habit of pulling off, "What makes you think I'll leave when you actually need me, you idiot."

Jin shook his head, a smile coming onto his lips as well. "How stubborn."


End file.
